


Gothwin - Female Elven Warriors

by simbelmynes



Series: Essays on Tolkien [1]
Category: The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Essay, female elven warriors, tolkien essay, tolkien meta
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-24
Updated: 2019-06-24
Packaged: 2020-05-19 05:29:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19350451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/simbelmynes/pseuds/simbelmynes
Summary: Some shorts thoughts on the female elven warriors of Tolkien's world.





	Gothwin - Female Elven Warriors

**Question:** As much as I love the gothwin, are they ever mentioned in any canonical sources? Or could you point me towards more info about them? Thanks!

 **Answer:** Yes they are mentioned! (although not using this name). Tolkien himself said female elven warriors, though rare, indeed exist.

From HoME volume 10, Morgoth’s Rings:

> "There are, however, no matters which among the Eldar only a ner can think or do, or others with which only a nis is concerned. There are indeed some differences between the natural inclinations of neri and nissi, and other differences that have been established by custom (varying in place and in time, and in the several races of the Eldar). For instance, the arts of healing, and all that touches on the care of the body, are among all the Eldar most practised by the nissi; whereas it was the elven-men who bore arms at need. And the Eldar deemed that the dealing of death, even when lawful or under necessity, diminished the power of healing, and that the virtue of the nissi in this matter was due rather to their abstaining from hunting or war than to any special power that went with their womanhood. **Indeed in dire straits or desperate defence, the nissi fought valiantly, and there was less difference in strength and speed between elven-men and elven-women (that had not borne child*) than is seen among mortals.** On the other hand many elven-men were great healers and skilled in the lore of living bodies, though such men abstained from hunting, and went not to war until the last need."

A very detailed post is written by askmiddleearth containing this issue, but the term of "gothwen" (sindarin for battle-maiden; pl. gothwin) is an invention of MERP (Middle Earth Role-Play), as to include detailed information for their modules. 

Do we have any canonical gothwin?

 **Of course:** Galadriel and Lúthien being mentioned. (Galadriel fighting at Dol Guldur, and tearing it down.)

Do we have any more?

In fanon and demi-canon you can count Tauriel, Andriel (from War in the North), Idrial (LOTR: The Third Age) and of course Arwen’s fight against the Nazgúl and her participation in the battle of Helm’s Deep. As well as Mirlonde, Rossiel, Ithilieth and more (in ME Card Game) and Glathlírel, Narmeleth, Noriel and many, many more (in LOTRO)


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